Fire TV gobbling up data? Mosaic may be the issue

Fire TV users may be getting more than they bargained for — literally. If you have a Fire TV, and have noticed your data usage going way up, we might know why. It turns out a few instances have been reported with built-in features. Here’s how to identify — and hopefully solve — the issue.

The issue relates to Fire TV owners who have seen a massive uptick in data usage/downloads. According to at least one writer, it seems Amazon believes this is due to their Mosaic feature, which shuttles images across your screen rather than a stock image.

Others seem to think the issue is ASAP, which is how content gets pushed to you so quickly and easily. By pre-buffering shows and movies you might watch, Amazon can give you a truly on-demand experience. It’s worth noting that we’ve not yet come across an instance where Amazon Fire TV owners are using one or the other, and can provide evidence one or the other is to blame. It’s also a very new product, and very new problem.

If you’ve had this issue, first check to see if Mosaic is active. If it is, disable it in short order. Doing so may save you lot of headache, especially if your Internet provider has a data cap. In the instance noted above, his data cap was reached in eight days.

Amazon hasn’t noted when a fix is incoming, but if they’re right — and Mosaic is the culprit, here — that’s a easy fix. If suspicions about ASAP are correct, you’re best not using your Fire TV until the issue is sorted out. That means unplugging it altogether.